Comments on: Preseason Power Rankings No. 32: Cleveland Browns

By: jayrun

jayrun — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:34:38 +0000

I guarantee you will be wrong about this prediction. The Browns are going to win a minimum of 6 games this year, and are gonna prove the haters wrong. They are not as far away from being a contender as a lot of people think. Weeden is gonna surprise a lot of people. He will have a better year than Andy Dalton did last year, mark it down!

By: couldntthinkofaname

couldntthinkofaname — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:45:51 +0000

firegoodell says: Jul 9, 2012 2:41 PM

Ahhhhh, the eternal optimism of Clowns fans…since 2000… the Steelers are 22-3 against the Clowns…

_________________

Not a Steelers fan, but the funniest day of the NFL season is when your team comes to Cleveland and 3/4 of the stadium is wearing black and gold and Browns fans leave with over 10 minutes to go in the game. Hard core Browns fans! LOL

Yeah, they’re going to split with the Steelers. Right.

By: bobzilla1001

bobzilla1001 — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:40:17 +0000

Here’s all you need to know about the AFC Central/North: Future Hall-of-Fame Genius Bill Belichick couldn’t win in that division and eventually was fired.

By: ccintx

ccintx — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:56:41 +0000

For whatever reason Colt McCoy took a big step backwards in 2011. Granted, the OL play was terrible (right side), but even when he did have time he was off target – sometimes WAY off target. So Weeden was a decent gamble, even in RD1. IMO he was the 3rd best QB in the draft behind Luck and RGIII and is a young 28 meaning he hasn’t been beaten up for the last 6 years. I agree not getting a legit top ranked WR or 2 was disappointing, but the key to the season is Weeden and of course a much improved OL. In head to head competition vs Luck, RGIII and Tannehill his OK State team was 3-0 so he must have done something right. Stat line for 2011: 355/486 73.1% 4,111yds / 34TD / 12INT 162.3 rating. Give the kid a chance to prove himself before you trash him – he has yet to even throw a single NFL pass….

By: erikinhell

erikinhell — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:50:07 +0000

Let me see if I have this right. The team that had the 2nd ranked passing defense, and 10th ranked overall defense, and the team that spent 3 of its first 3 draft picks on offense is ranked 32nd.

So, they make a good attempt to bring the offense up to the standards of the defense, and they’re ranked last. The Colts, on the other hand, lost several offensive stars (QB, RB, WRs, OLs), and they’re ranked higher.

I have one comment left for naysayers who claim the AFC North is not the toughest division in the league: Was there any other division to have all 4 teams in the top 10 of the league in defense?

By: Secondary Editorial Voice (tm)

Secondary Editorial Voice (tm) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:10:39 +0000

Drafting Weeden was one of the dumbest things this team could have ever done. In 2-3 years he’ll either be on crutches or playing backup to the next first round draft pick at QB.

Richardson may be a great player, but this was such an obvious pick to make. And he’s only one player. The rest of the draft was terrible and forgettable. And they did nothing in free agency whatsoever.

The Browns will be somewhere around 2-14 this season as Holmgren proves that he’s incapable of building a team by himself. And Randy Lerner will continue to get off scott free by the same fan base that crucifies the Dolan family for being “cheap” in their stewardship of the Indians.

By: sparky151

sparky151 — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:50:47 +0000

The Browns botched the draft so they might very well finish as the worst team in the league. Instead of Weeden and Schwartz, they should have taken DeCastro and Glenn. Then they would have a real O-line and a better QB situation with McCoy. They still have no receivers and throwing Weeden to the wolves isn’t a good idea either. The NFL is a passing league and asking a rookie QB with no receivers to produce is asking for too much.

By: audient

audient — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:37:56 +0000

My Browns have nowhere to go but up.

GO BROWNS!

By: 1historian

1historian — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:12:11 +0000

This is true but sad – The Browns (at least they still have their original name) used to be one of the leading franchises in the game.

FYI – I remember Otto Graham

True words from Jerry Krause – “ORGANIZATIONS (caps mine) win championships”

By: ccintx

ccintx — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:53:50 +0000

The Browns 2011 Offense was pathetic – without question. But add OC Brad Childress, stud RB Trent Richardson, QB Weeden and RT Schwartz to bookend Pro Bowler Joe Thomas w/ anchor C Alex Mack in the middle and a couple decent Guards and you have a good to very good O-Line which was the primary problem. Now if WR Greg Little takes the next step and Massaquois plays #2 along others plus a decent cast of TE, this O should look nothing like last year’s debacle. T-Rich will have to be reckoned with, Weeden can make throws that Colt can’t so putting 8 in the box will not work any more. Defense will be average but should not have to be on the field 70-75% of the time which should make a big difference. 6-7 Wins likely with 8-8 season a stretch goal. This team has more talent than people think and might surprise a few teams…

By: sterilizecromartie

sterilizecromartie — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:05:18 +0000

Everyone needs to stop saying that the AFC North or NFC East are the toughest divisions in football. Um, did we all forget about the NFC North? The Packers are amazing and will be for the next 5 years at least. Everyone knows the Lions have the hottest young team in the NFL. And the Bears have added some great WRs to a team that would have easily made the playoffs last year if their QB didn’t get hurt.

NFC North > Everyone Else

By: firegoodell

firegoodell — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:41:09 +0000

clevelandfanforever says:
Jul 9, 2012 10:54 AM
My bad…You forgot to say You forgot to say they WILL beat the steelers at least once.

Ahhhhh, the eternal optimism of Clowns fans…since 2000… the Steelers are 22-3 against the Clowns…

By: pmars64

pmars64 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:40:17 +0000

As a Browns fan, I have to agree that this ranking is too low. Of course, I’ll be shocked if they don’t finish in the cellar in the division but this a young team on the upswing in a division where both Baltimore & Pittsburgh may be sliding down because of age. The Browns have drafted pretty well the last few seasons and the roster has improved. They may have the best offensive line in the division by season’s end as the young kids get more experience. Their running backs may be the best group in the division. Their secondary has talent. They’ve added some speed at linebacker and their d-line, once Taylor returns, will be stronger. The big question mark is at QB and who knows how Weeden will do? Also, they still lack anybody at wide-out who scares a secondary. If the former Cane can deliver, it would be a huge boost, but he dropped to the 4th round because he’s too small. If he can beat press coverage, they may have something.

While this front office hasn’t been perfect, I do think they have the franchise on the right track overall.

By: 3octaveFart

3octaveFart — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:27:44 +0000

meytonpanning says:
Jul 9, 2012 11:08 AM
“I really disagree with this. The offensive line of Pits and Baltimore are old and have plenty of holes. The browns should be wildcard contenders.”

Well I know at least one person who didn’t pay any attention to Pittsburgh in this year’s draft…

By: curtainclosed

curtainclosed — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:22:39 +0000

London Browns sounds about right.

By: getyourownname

getyourownname — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:20:19 +0000

I don’t know whether the Browns will be better, but I do know that being No. 32 out of 32 cannot be considered a “Power” ranking.

By: goyzzo

goyzzo — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:20:05 +0000

Being a lifelong Browns fan, I also see the Browns as the 32nd ranked team in the NFL. Besides the draft, no real issues were addressed in the offseason.
This Franchise should have never came back if the Lerhner family is just in it to bring the Browns back to Cleveland.
I buy all the merchandise, and go to most home games, and it just feels like a kick in the teeth year after year, as the front office, coaching, and team gets worse year after year.
I should have moved to Baltimore when the Browns did, at least I would have a tolerable product to watch on Sundays.
God Bless my Cleveland Browns. (Lord knows we need it)

By: cali49er707

cali49er707 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:14:07 +0000

@mistersmith22

as a 9ER fan i loved your take & it was all true except for the part you left out, which was the help from the zebra who ruled “forward progress” on the bradshaw fumble with under 2mins to go in the 4th QTR on the the giants 28yd line, absolute joke!! tuck rule 2.0

By: emperorzero

emperorzero — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:10:51 +0000

I’m pulling for the Browns, but they have the most messed up situation at quarterback. St. Louis has Bradford (who isn’t nearly as bad as he looked last year), Ponder shows some promise of at least being adequate, Miami and Jacksonville can field at least journeyman quality quarterbacks, and Luck has way more upside than Weeden or McCoy. At this point in the summer, it’s hard to see the Browns any higher than #32.

By: dmunnee

dmunnee — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:08:15 +0000

Things just keep getting worse for you guys out there.. Hey, maybe LeBron will consider coming back for pigskin!?? At least LeBron is still younger than Weeden!! Anybody remember Weinke?? weeden/weinke same ol’ same ol’

By: mlmeier

mlmeier — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:51:30 +0000

They have an extremely underrated defense. With Trent Richardson in the picture, I highly doubt they’ll come out as the worst team in football (though I think they’re equally unlikely to make playoffs). My money is on Miami. Tons of holes heading into the offseason, and arguably even more coming out.

By: mistersmith22

mistersmith22 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:46:07 +0000

mallyredskins, no way the NFC East competes with the AFC North. The Giants are the worst Super Bowl winner in the last few years — they only got there thanks to Kyle Williams’ inability to not fumble — and the Cowboys and Eagles are never real threats thanks to horrible ownership, management, and talent evaluation. All that’s left is the Dan Snyder money factory masquerading as a football team in Landover. Sure, they’re competitive with each other, because they’re on about the same levels (well, not WAS).

Meanwhile, in the AFC North, you have the only division to send three teams to the playoffs last year, you have two teams that win at least 1 playoff game almost every year (a real DB would have saved PIT last year, but, alas for them), and in CIN a team that would probably take half the divisions in the NFL.

By: cannonballdookie

cannonballdookie — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:25:57 +0000

While I think it’s a toss-up for the most part and preseason projections are meaningless, I see a few teams that look worse than the Browns.

Indy, Miami, Jacksonville, and possibly Minnesota and St Louis. I would have went with Indy at 32 until they’ve proven otherwise.

By: mallyredskins

mallyredskins — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:14:17 +0000

Ok these “toughest division” excuses is UNACCEPTABLE. yES im a Skins fan and we have been in the bottom of the NFC east for quite some time and of course im not happy bout it but NEVER will i EVER use our division(WHICH IS THE TOUGHEST DIVISION IN THE LEAGUE PERIOD!!!) as an excuse to be last in the division. It all starts with the front office. Owner on down. Yall have issues in the front office. Where’s the vision. Where’s yall identity. Yall dont have these and yall are suffering. Kill the excuses and hold yall front office accountable. Just look what my Skins did! entire new front office and you’d have to be BLIND as stevie wonder to think we havent improved across the board.

By: viceburgh

viceburgh — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:14:16 +0000

The Factory of Sadness is gearing up for a record-breaking production run.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:14:10 +0000

I think McCoy NEVER had a chance, Tom Brady couldn’t have won with that team the last couple years. So long as they keep digging themselves a hole on draft day don’t expect a major turn around. Richardson may be a stud but look at MJD, Stephen Jackson,AP, they are as good as it gets and hey have played on losing teams thier entire careers. They should be building a team instead of a superstar.

I think the best teams have shown that it all starts with a lights out defense. Then of course you need the Clutch QB,and the playmaker to catch the ball. Just saying … Defense wins Championships. NYG, GB, PITT, NO (yea I know they don’t belong in this list but…they did shut down peyton) All feared defenses when they went all they way.

By: vex24

vex24 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:13:43 +0000

More evidence that the writers at profootballtalk.com hate the Cincinnati Bengals…. “Split with the Bengals..” is very biased, but that’s profootballtalk.com’s Anti-Bengals MO.
The AFC North is the toughest division in Pro Football. Every year there’s possibilities of ‘split’ games between any two teams.
Two seasons ago Cleveland was the darling sexy pick. I don’t claim to predict any NFL season (That’s why Pro-FOOTBALL is great), but I would be shocked if the Ravens fall to 4th place…and still have a shot at Wildcard! AFC North is Terror.

By: thelastpieceofcheese

thelastpieceofcheese — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:10:10 +0000

Joe Thomas is taking the browns to the superbowl!

By: coop16

coop16 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:55:33 +0000

For what it’s worth, the FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS rank teams using a variety of complex metrics, and at the end of last season their metrics showed the Browns ranked #25. Not sure how a young, improving team places #25 one year, then improves both its running game (Richardson) and passing game (Weeden) in the offseason, then goes backward to #32. This is purely a media perception along the lines of “Oh, the Browns always suck, let’s put them at the bottom” instead of any real analysis.

By: cali49er707

cali49er707 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:46:22 +0000

not making excuses but in all fairness to the Cleveland Browns, they play in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL & the two powerhouses in their division ( BAL & PITT ) have financial backing from their owners & are considered two of the better talent evaluators in all of the NFL, year in & year out they find solid talent rounds one through seven in the draft & not all teams can say that!!